Vehicle-lifting device



Nov. 22, 1927. 1,649,904

I E. A. LONGGOOD VEHICLE LIFTING DEVICE Filed Oct. 14, 192 4 Sheets-Sheet l lNVNTOR uyene (Qiangyc d BY A'TTORNEY Nov. 22, 1927.

E. A. LONGGOOD VEHICLE LIFTING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 14, 1926 INVENTOR fuyme fl y ATTORNEY Nov. 22, 1927. 1,649,904

E. A. LONGGOOD VEHICLE LIFTING DEVICE Filed Oct. 14. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Qgne &. I 011W ATTORNEY- Patented Nov. 22, 1927.

UNITED sir Arcs PATENT ,QFFICE- EUGENE A. noncooop,

or. SOUTH BEND, mn AN'A, ASSIGNORV'IO THE/STUDEBAKER QoRroRA'rIoN, or SOUTH BEND, INDIAN A CORPORATION on NEW JERSEY.

VEHIGLE-LIFTING nnvion;

Application iu aoctober 14, 1926-. Serial at. 141,517.

This invention relates to loading devices, and particularly to a crane sling for, use in connection with the moving of vehicle bodies. I

It is generally the custom in large manufacturing plants to finish the vehicle bodies on a floor above the iioor on whichthe chassis is assembled and when it is desired to mount body onchassis, the chassis is positioned beneath an opening in thefloor above, and the body is lowered through the. opening by a crane, chain falls, or the like. Usually a loading crane is provided with hooks for engaging a flange or similar part Off the body cowl, and with cables which hook over the ends of a wooden cross mom: ber extending transversely through the door or rear window opening of the body, if a cl'osed'bo-dy-is being mounted on a chassis. in open bodies. provided with collapsible tops, the rear hooks may be secured to the top supports, or to a cross member extending transversely beneath the frame of the body. This latter method has been found to be particularly objectionable as it is necessary to remove the crossmember before the body can-be correctly placed on the chassis. All I this, placing the cross member, securing the hooks, etc., consumes considerable time and necessitates several men to properly mount the body on the chassis; besides, the men are apt to. become careless and bump the body with the cross member, or allow theswinging hooks to strike it and mar the finish.

lVilh the above in view, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a crane device for moving or loading vehicle bodies, which is adjustable to all types of bodies, that is, sedan, coupe, touring, and the like. i

Another object is to provide an adjustable crane sling for moving vehicle bodies, which is economical to manufacture, easily operated and which is very efficient in thatthe body cannot become disengaged fromthe sling while it is being'moved from one 10- cationto another. 4

Another object is to provide a crane sling having padded arms which support the rear of the body at the rear Wheel housings.

A further object isv to "provide a crane sling with a longitudinally adjustable support for the crane hook, whereby the position of the same may be changed to be above the center of gravity of diife'rent type bodies ofthe locking mechanism.

which are. to be moved, in. order to keep the bodies on substantially horizontal. plane.

, These being among the objects of thepres-. ent invention, the same consists oi -certain. features of construction, and combinations ohparts, to be hereinafter described with.

reference to the accompanying drawings, and then claimed, having the above. and other objects-in view. Referring to the accompanying drawings in which a suitable embodnnent of the. pres: ent invention is illustrated.

- Figure lis a side elevation of the crane sling showing the same in position forengaging a VQl'iiCle body ,-which is. shown in dash and dotoutline.

Figure is a front elevation of the. crane sling showing the hooked member engaging Lhe cowl at the front of the body.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line of Figure 1, showing an end view of the adjustable crane hook support.

i Figure L is an enlarged section-taken sub: I

stantially on the'li'ne 4. i of Figure, 1 showing the padded block engaging the wheel housin gure 5-is an enlarged side view of one-.of the swinging arms carrying the pad to engage the wheel housing Figure his a partial side- VlBWr showing the locking mechanism for the swinging arm in released position.

Figure 7 is a plan view. of the crane sling showing the same positioned over the top of a vehicle body.

Figure 8 is an enlarged section. taken on the line 8 -8 of Figure 5 showing a portion Figure 9 is an'enlarged planview of the latch release and locking mechanism shown in Figure 5.

Inthe accompanying drawings, inwhich like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, a vehicle body 20 is shown suspended by the crane sling comprising the resent invention, and as illustrated in dash and dot outline,particularly inFigures 1, 2

and 7, is of the closed type, wherein a per- Inanenttop is provided. The sling is pro.- vided with a main frame member 21 through which the entire weight of the body being lifted is transferred to the lifting crane (the chain 22 and hook 523 only of which are shown). The frame member 21 is rectangu lar in cross section and extendslongitudinal- 1y of the body just over its top. A'block 24 of inverted U-shaped section encloses the sides and top of the frame member 21 and extends below thebottom thereof. Between the sides of the block 24 and carried by pins 26 are rollers which contact with the lower face of the frame member 21 and transmit the weight of the body from the frame member 21 to the block 24. A clevis 29, which is secured to the upper edge of the block 24 by abolt 27 and nut 28, is provided for transmitting the weight of the body from the block 24 to the crane hook 23.

A shaft 30 having one end threaded into a screw block 31 secured to the side of the block 24 by cap screws 32 provides a means for longitudinal adjustment of the block 24 on the frame member 21, such adjustment being desirable to compensate for the varying centers of gravity of different types of.

bodies. The unthreadcd end of the shaft 30 is supported by a bearing 34 secured to the extreme end of the frame member 21, and a hand wheel 33 is keyed to the-end of the shaft 30 extending through the" bearing 34 to rotate the same. The position of the block 24 on the frame member 21 may be changed by rotating. the hand wheel 33 which causes the shaft to thread into the screw block 31 and draw the block 24 forward or backward on the frame member 21, according to the direct-ion of rotation of the wheel 33. A weight 35, having a set screw 36 may be provided to slide on the front end of the frame 21 in order to balance the sling structure, as the rear end of a vehicle body is heavier thanthe front endf Referring particularlyto Figures 1 and 2,

i the front end of the crane sling is provided The outer extremities of the supports 44 i are provided with downwardly extending plates 43 which pivotally support vertically positioned arms 40 between their ends on the pins 48 for movement laterally of the body 20 and frame member 21. The lower 'ends of the arms 40 are built up with curved blocks 41 suitably padded with felt or other resilient material and shaped to provide surfaces complementary to the indentations that form the wheel housings 42 of the body 20 which they are adapted to engage as shown in Figure 4 and thereby support the rear ports 44, as shown in Figure 6. The arms 40 are adapted to be held in two positions by locking and releasing means, one position of which is the'engaging position as shown by the solid. lines of Figure 5, that, is, being locked in position to support the vehicle body, and the other of which is the nonengaging position, as shown by the dot and dash lines of the same figure, the arms 40 being locked out of contact with the body,

As :the locking and releasing means for each arm 40 are identical, it is sufficient to describe only one ofthe same inv detail. Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the locking and releasing mechanism is shown as comprising a lever 50, composed of two flat members spaced parallel to each other, pivoted be: tween its ends on a pin'5l supported by a base member 52 secured to the extreme. end of the support 44, and a latch member 53 pivoted at 53 on'the the fiat members comprising the lever 50. One face of the latch 53 is cut away to provide a substantially ninety degree step 54 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The free end of the latch 53 is drawn toward the inner e-ndrof r 57 is secured, the opposite end being secured to thesupport 44, so that the lever 50 is normally drawn downwardly toward the member 44. Extending horizontally between the spaced members of the lever 50 at its extreme inner end is a bolt 58 which engages with an indentation 49 in the uppermost end of the arm 40 to lock the arm in non-engaging position. (See Figure 5.) Secured at the opposite end of the lever 50, and positioned between the side pieces, is a curved member 59 over which a cable 60 is adapted to slide to operate the latch 53, one end of the cable'6O being attached to the latch 53 and the other end being provided with a pull handle 61. Ad acent the standard 56, but positioned be-V tween the sides of the lever 50, is a stop block 62 for the arm 40'to abut against, the

use of which will be described later.

When the swinging arm'40is in inoperative position, as shown by the dot and dash 1' lines of Figure 5, the same is locked against movement by the pin 58 which engages the indentation 49 in the end of the arm 40. When the locking and releasing means is released and the arm 40 is swung to engaging position, as shown by the solid lines of Figure 5, the same islocked against movement by the stop block 62 which engages with and prevents its upper end from pivoting The latch 53 engages a portion of the indentation 49 and prevents the inner end of the engaging the curved face of the wheel housings of said. body.

In a vehicle bodysling, a frame, a body engaging armpivotally supported thereby, a pivotally mounted levermounted on said frame co-operatively associated with said arm and provided with a plurality of stops each engageable with said arm whereby to. hold said arm in one of a plurality of pre-.

determined pivotal positions.

t; In a vehicle body sling, a frame, a body engaging arm pivotally' supported thereby, a lever mounted on said frame provided with a plurality of stops engageable to hold said arm in a plurality of predetermined pivotal positions, and a latch mounted on said lever for preventing inadvertent movement of said lever. I V

5. In a vehicle body sling, a T-shaped frame, a body engaging arm pivotally supported on one of the arms of said frame, a lever pivotally supported on said frame provided with a plurality of stops each engageable with said arm to hold said arm in one of a plurality of pivotal positions, and a latch carried by said lever and engageable with said arm to lock said lever against inadvertent movement. 1

6. In a vehicle body sling, a frame, a bod y engaging arm pivotally supported thereon, .a lever pivotally supported on said frame provided with a plurality of stops each engage able with said arm for holding said arm in. one of a plurality of pivotal positions, a latch carried by said lever engageable with said arm for locking said lever against inadvertent movement, and single means for releasing said latch and moving said lever out. of arm engaging position.

7. In a vehicle body sling provided with a supporting frame, a member supported thereby for engaging a lower portion of said body, said member comprising a depending arm mounted on said frame between its ends for pivotal movement lateral of said body, and a lever supported by said frame comprising two spaced parts adapted to straddle said arm, said lever provided with a block bridging the space between said parts and adapted to abut against said arm whereby to lock said arm against movement longitudinally of said lever.

8. In a vehicle body sling provided with a supporting frame, a depending arm supported thereby for engaging a wheel housing of said body and 'mounted for movement in a plane lateral to said frame, and a lever supported by said frame for locking said arm in'a plurality of positions, said lever comprising two spaced parts adapted to straddle said arm and provided with abutments for said arm extending between said parts, means for normally holding sa d lever in arm engaging positlon, and means for swinging said lever out of arm engaging position. 7 v

9. A vehicle body sling comprising a supporting frame and depending members engageable with the cowl section and Wheel house depressions of a body to secure the same thereto, and spring mounted pads car-,

'ried by said frame for engagement with the top of said body for preventing relative movement of said body in respect to said sling.

it). In a vehicle body lifting device com! prislng a frame member and outwardly exported thereby, a block adj ustably supported on said frame forwardly of said arms, screw means for adjusting said block on said frame, and means on said block for engaging sling lifting mechanisms v i 12. Ina vehicle body lifting device having a frame and body engaging arms supported thereby, means on said frame extending parallel therewith for, engaging a lifting mechanism, means for varying the position of. said means on said frame to effect equal distribution of weight of the body on each side of the lifting force, and means for locking said arms into engagement with the vehicle body. 1 Signed by me at South Bench Indiana, U. S, A., this 11th day of October, 1926. p r EUGENE A. LONGGOOD. 

